Kinus Teshuva

Thank you very much, Rav Chalav. Birshut HaRav Chalav, Menahal HaYeshiva. Birshut Roshei HaYeshiva, Talmidei HaYeshiva, distinguished guests. Rav Chalav in his introduction highlighted the various currents moving through our hearts and minds, so I won't repeat that and I'll proceed directly to the shiur. Tonight's shiur will focus on the mitzvah of Viduy. In Perek Aleph of Hilchos Teshuva, Halacha Aleph, the Rambam defines and provides the formula for Viduy as follows: Keitzad Misvadin?

אומר אנא השם חטאתי עויתי פשעתי לפניך ועשיתי כך וכך.

How does one confess and express contrition for one's sins? One addresses Hakadosh Baruch Hu and says, I have sinned unintentionally, intentionally, I have rebelled against you, and I have done such and such. And at this point, a person specifies the various chataim of which he is guilty. והריני ניחמתי ובושתי במעשי. I regret, I am ashamed at my actions, ולעולם איני חוזר לדבר זה. And I will never ever return and commit the same sins. וזהו עיקרו של וידוי. And this is the essence of Viduy. וכל המרבה להתוודות ומאריך בעניין זה הרי זה משובח. One who expands and fleshes out these various ideas in his Viduy is praiseworthy. I'd like to focus on two different elements of the Rambam's definition of Viduy. First of all, the Rambam includes in his bare-bones definition of Viduy, the Rambam again is providing us with the essential components of Viduy, and the Rambam inserts the word uvoshti. I experience a sense of shame and humiliation when I look in the mirror and I recall my aveiros. Why is this sense of busha, of shame, of humiliation so critical for teshuvah? Anything which is included in the Viduy, the Rav zichrono livracha explained that Viduy is the externalization or concretization of the inner experience of teshuvah. Anything articulated in the Viduy is clearly a reflection of an inner feeling or thought. And thus, clearly, the centrality of busha, of a sense of shame and humiliation within the formula of Viduy reflects the fact that it is central to the very process and experience of teshuvah. Now that this is the case, the Rambam clearly inferred from psukim which are well known to us from our slichos in Daniel Perek Tes:

לך השם הצדקה ולנו בושת הפנים. ואומר אלקי בשתי וגם נכלמתי להרים אלקי פני אליך כי עונותינו רבו למעלה ראש ואשמתנו גדלה עד לשמים.

Daniel says to you Hashem we attribute the attribute of charitableness. We on the other hand are covered with shame. Ezra says my God I am ashamed I am humiliated to lift my head to you because our iniquities we are literally figuratively drowning in our iniquities and our transgressions reach the very heavens. And finally Yirmiyahu Hanavi says this is a pasuk Rabbeinu Yonah quotes in Perek Lamed Aleph of Sefer Yirmiyahu. בשתי וגם נכלמתי כי נשאתי חרפת נעורי. I am ashamed and humiliated because I bear the shame of my youth. Rabbeinu Yonah as well when he lists the fundamental components of teshuva also enumerates busha shame humiliation.

והעיקר הששי רבנו יונה הבושה כעניין שנאמר בשתי וגם נכלמתי כי נשאתי חרפת נעורי.

The sixth of the fundamental feelings and emotions and experiences which constitute teshuva is busha. But why is busha so critical why is it so central to teshuva? There is a remarkable gemara in ברכות דף יב. The gemara says

העושה דבר עבירה ומתבייש ממנו מוחלין לו על כל עונותיו.

If one commits an aveira and in the aftermath of that aveira experiences shame humiliation so then the heavenly court forgives him for all his aveiros for all his transgressions. The reaction of the heavenly tribunal seems to be disproportionately generous. We would have expected the gemara to tell us

העושה דבר עבירה העושה דבר ומתבייש ממנו מוחלין לו על אותו עוון.

We would have expected that forgiveness and atonement would be forthcoming for that particular aveira. And yet the gemara tells us that in the merit of this profound sense of shame and humiliation not merely that particular aveira is forgiven but all his aveiros are forgiven. How are we to understand this seemingly disproportionate reaction? The gemara in Yoma Pei Vav has a machlokes tanaim whether in one's viduy one's confession it is necessary to specify and detail the particular cheit or chata'im for which a person is repenting.

וצריך לפרוט את החטא שנאמר אנא חטא העם הזה חטאה גדולה ויעשו להם אלהי זהב.

It is incumbent upon a person to specify his cheit his iniquity as the pasuk reads when Moshe Rabbeinu beseeches Hakadosh Baruch Hu for forgiveness on the part of Bnei Yisrael after the sin of the Eigel Hazahav. So Moshe Rabbeinu addresses himself to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This nation has sinned greatly. and they have made for themselves a golden calf. דברי רבי יהודה בן בבא. This is the opinion of רבי יהודה בן בבא. Rabbi Akiva omer אשרי נשוי פשע כסוי חטאה. There is no need or perhaps it is even desirable that one not detail the chet. The chet should remain hidden. It should be hinted at and alluded to, but it should not be brought out in the open.

אלא מהו שאמר משה ויעשו להם אלהי זהב כדי רבי ינאי.

Why then did Moshe Rabbeinu specify the chet of which Bnei Yisrael were guilty? דאמר רבי ינאי אמר משה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא. Rabbi Yannai offered the following interpretation: Moshe Rabbeinu said before Hashem,

כסף וזהב שהרבית להם לישראל עד שאמרו די גרם להם שעשו אלהי זהב.

Kevayachol, Moshe Rabbeinu shifted the blame to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and said it was the fact that you inundated them with gold and silver until they said we're we're oversaturated, we can't absorb any more of these riches. It was that which caused them to make the golden calf. Rabbi Akiva's opinion is very difficult, very troubling. Again, viduy, which is the articulation of teshuva, the ma'aseh mitzvah of teshuva, would naturally seem to demand perat hachet. After all, teshuva should be individualized. A person who sinned in observance of Shabbos, rachmana litzlan, requires one corrective measure. A person who sinned in his adherence to the laws of Kashrus had another corrective measure. A person whose interaction with his fellow man was flawed requires yet another corrective measure. So teshuva must be individualized. So one would expect that since viduy mirrors teshuva, it articulates the experience of teshuva, that the viduy should also be individualized and should contain a perat hachet. The answer to these various questions all lies in reflecting upon the nature and essence of busha. Shame, humiliation, is a social emotion. That is, it's triggered by an awareness of others and a concern with the impression forming in their mind. If a person enters a room and clumsily trips over his own feet, if the room is totally empty and his awkwardness went unobserved, he won't feel any sense of shame. He won't feel in the least bit embarrassed or humiliated. No one was there to witness this episode. If on the other hand he enters a hall overflowing with people and stumbles, then he'll be overcome by a sense of shame, embarrassment, humiliation. One only experiences shame, one only feels ashamed if one is aware of being watched. If one is aware that עין רואה ואוזן שומעת, that an eye beholds everything a person does. does and an ear hears everything a person says and nothing he does or says goes undetected or unobserved. If a person has that sense then he will feel busha. He will feel ashamed. Despite the differences between different chatayim, different sins, different averos, there is one common denominator and one common root to any sin. And that is a person lacked the awareness of being in the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It's simply inconceivable that a person who is acutely aware that at this moment he is omeid lifnei Hashem, he stands, he acts, he speaks, he reacts, everything he does and thinks is in the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, known to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It's inconceivable that such a person should stray and sin. And if in fact we do stray and we do sin, so then the conclusion is inevitable. It reflects our lack of awareness of being lifnei Hashem. It reflects the fact that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is very very remote from our consciousness. If that's what cheit reflects and represents, then clearly the response and the corrective measure has to be to instill within oneself an acute awareness of lifnei Hashem, of שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד. And that will automatically result in a sense of busha. Then a person will realize that when he succumbed, be it to a temptation, be it to anger, be it to weakness, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu he did so in the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and when a person reflects upon that fact, he cannot help but feel totally totally humiliated. Perhaps this is why Rabbi Akiva does not find it necessary for one to be mefaresh hachet, for one to specify one's cheit, because all chatayim, all sins have a common root in the lack of awareness of being lifnei Hashem. And similarly, the Gemara in Berachos of

העושה דבר עבירה ומתבייש ממנו מוחלין לו על כל עוונותיו,

we asked why this disproportionate reaction? Why is one granted forgiveness for all sins because one feels ashamed at a particular sin? The answer is because since the essence of the busha is that I now am aware that I am lifnei Hashem. And that results in a sense of overwhelming and overpowering humiliation. So perhaps this sense of busha was triggered by a specific aveira, but it clearly represents a teshuva for all aveiros. Perhaps the Gemara should be understood of

העושה דבר עבירה ומתבייש ממנו מוחלין לו על כל עוונותיו,

perhaps misbayesh mimenu should not be simply translated as he feels ashamed mimenu at the ma'aseh aveira, but maybe what the Gemara really has in mind is umisbayesh mimenu that he feels ashamed before Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Says the Gemara if that's the case then we can understand why That's what the person feels, if that's what he experiences, then this is a corrective and this constitutes teshuva not only for the specific aveirah which triggered that feeling of shame and humiliation, but for all his aveiros. And finally, we can understand a remarkable, albeit idiosyncratic view of the Rabbeinu Bachya. Rabbeinu Bachya in Chovos HaLevavos in Sha'ar HaTeshuva quotes the Gemara in Ta'anis.

אדם שיש בידו עבירה ומתודה ואינו חוזר בה למה הוא דומה למי שתופס שרץ בידו אפילו טובל בכל מימי שבעולם לא עלתה לו טבילה.

If a person confesses his sin but doesn't truly repent, what does he resemble? Someone who attends the mikvah and while immersing himself in the mikvah maintains his grip, an iron grip, on the source of the tumah. Says the Gemara, he can go to the greatest mikvah in the world, he can attend all the mikvaos in the world, but they are all powerless to effect taharah, they are all powerless to purify him. Only if zarko miyado, only if he throws away, he casts aside the source of tumah, then alsah lo tvila, only then will purity result from his immersion. What exactly does the Gemara refer to? What case does the Gemara have in mind with this analogy, this simile to one who immerses himself while gripping the source of impurity? Rashi in the Gemara in Ta'anis says it refers to one who has been guilty of theft, of robbery, and he proceeds to confess his sin of gezel but he doesn't return the stolen goods, he doesn't return the gezeilah. And Rashi says the Gemara means the mashal, the analogy should be translated literally, just as in the analogy he attends the mikvah while gripping the source of tumah, so too this person confesses while he's holding on to the stolen goods. The Rambam understands this Gemara, the Rambam says that the analog for this Gemara is an insincere confession for any sin.

כל המתודה בדברים ולא גמר בליבו לעזוב הרי זה דומה לטובל ושרץ בידו.

A person who confesses any sin and has not truly resolved in his heart to abandon that sin, he resembles someone who attends the mikvah while gripping the source of impurity. So the Rambam generalizes the analogy and says that the analog is any case of insincere viduy. Now listen to the preceding lines, the context in which Rabbeinu Bachya quotes the Gemara. ממהפסיד התשובה גם כן, another thing which vitiates the act of repentance, שיהיה השב שב מקצת עוונותיו ומתמיד על קצתם. A person repents some of his sins but perpetuates others.

כמו שיצא מן העבירה שבינו ובין המקום ושב מהן ולא יצא ממה שיש בינו ובין בני אדם מגזל ואונאה וגניבה והדומה לזה.

He repents from sins between himself and Hakadosh Baruch Hu but he does not repent from the sins between himself and his fellow man: theft, cheating, and the like. And Chazal had in mind exactly this scenario when they described a person who is tovel vesheretz beyado. When Chazal gave the analogy of a person who attends the mikveh while gripping the source of impurity, they didn't have in mind only what Rashi says, that he's confessing the sin of theft without returning the stolen goods. Nor did they even have in mind only what the Rambam says, that he confesses insincerely, that the sin for which I am confessing now I haven't resolved to abandon. According to Rabbeinu Bachya, Chazal, what Chazal had in mind here is something even more far-reaching. If I sincerely repent for one aveira, at the same time arrogantly, callously perpetuate another aveira, that too Chazal liken to one who attends the mikveh while gripping the source of impurity. According to Rabbeinu Bachya, and again, the underlying idea is one which is accepted universally, even though his application is certainly not. But according to Rabbeinu Bachya, there's no such thing as teshuva, as repentance for one aveira while not addressing the need for teshuva for another aveira. Why so? Again, because all aveiros have a common source. They have a common root. It's not that each one is totally distinct and the fact that there are disparate aveiros means that the root of each is distinct, but they each have a common denominator, a common root, that a person lacked the awareness of lifnei Hashem, of being in the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and the concomitant sense of submissiveness. And therefore, for a person to truly and sincerely repent, Rabbeinu Bachya says he must repent for all aveiros. Let's move on to another element in the Rambam's formula for viduy.

כיצד מתוודין אומר אנא השם חטאתי עויתי פשעתי לפניך ועשיתי כך וכך.

One addresses Hakadosh Baruch Hu: I have sinned unintentionally, intentionally, I have rebelled, and I have done such and such. The Rambam paskens like רבי יהודה בן בבא that peirush hachet, detailing the sin, is necessary within viduy. והרי ניחמתי ובושתי במעשי. I regret and am ashamed of my actions, ולעולם איני חוזר לדבר הזה, and I shall never ever return to this course of action. Viduy, confession, is really an inaccurate translation. The Rambam clearly says that viduy must also include one’s resolution for the future not to return to his sinful ways. So both peirush hachet, detailing the sin, as well as the kabala l’haba, the resolution not to sin again, must be included in the viduy. The Rambam tells us this again in perek beis, halacha beis: Umah hi hateshuva? What does teshuva consist of?

שיעזוב החוטא חטאו ויסירו ממחשבתו ויגמור בלבו שלא יעשהו עוד.

That a person should abandon the sin, remove it totally from his mind, and resolve in his heart that he will never. again stray and sin, שנאמר יעזוב רשע דרכו, let the wicked person abandon his path of wickedness, and he should experience regret over his past deeds, שנאמר כי אחרי שובי ניחמתי. The Rambam concludes the halacha, וצריך להתוודות בשפתיו ולומר עניינות אלו שגמר בליבו, a person must articulate all these components of teshuva which he has experienced inwardly. So again, the vidui must contain the perat hachet, a detailing of what sins I am repenting for, as well as my resolution not to sin in this fashion again. Nevertheless, in Perek Bet, Halacha Chet, the Rambam writes,

הוידוי שנהגו בו כל ישראל אבל אנחנו חטאנו והוא עיקר הוידוי.

The vidui, the formula for vidui which has been universally accepted and is universally practiced, consists of the simple three-word formula, aval anachnu chatanu, but indeed we have sinned. And then as though the Rambam were calling our attention to this contradiction within Hilchos Teshuva, the Rambam repeats the same phrase, vehu ikar havidui. And this is the essence of the vidui, in apparent direct contradiction to his earlier words in Perek Aleph and earlier in this very same Perek Bet where the Rambam said that ikar havidui, the essence of vidui, must also incorporate perat hachet, specifying the chet, as well as kabbala l'haba, one's resolution not to sin again. So there are two points of discrepancy within the Rambam. The mefarshei haRambam already comment on this, the Avodas HaMelech and others. In fact, in the vidui of the Kohen Gadol on Yom HaKippurim, the two elements of perat hachet and kabbala l'haba, specifying the chet and expressing one's heartfelt resolve not to sin again, are also conspicuously absent. וכך היה אומר, we're all familiar with this mishna from the סדר עבודת יום הכיפורים of Musaf. אנא השם עויתי פשעתי חטאתי, that's the sequence according to Rabbi Meir. According to the Chachamim, it's reversed. חטאתי עויתי פשעתי לפניך אני וביתי. The Kohen Gadol says: I, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, together with the members of my family, have sinned before you unintentionally, intentionally, rebelliously.

אנא השם כפר נא לעונות ולפשעים ולחטאים שעויתי שפשעתי וחטאתי לפניך.

Please grant us atonement for all these sins, ככתוב בתורת משה עבדך, as is written in the Torah, כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם, because on this day of Yom Kippur, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will grant you atonement. Again, both elements of perat hachet and kabbala l'haba are conspicuously absent in the vidui of Yom Kippur of the Kohen Gadol. In order to penetrate to the central point and to resolve the contradiction within the Rambam, we have to review the sugya in Yoma Peh Zayin which provides the Rambam with his source for the more abbreviated... and the more terse formula of וידוי אבל אנחנו חטאנו. The Baraisa states תנו רבנן מצות וידוי ערב יום הכפורים עם חשכה. The mitzvah of confessing before and in the eve of Yom Kippur is at twilight. Aval amru chachamim, but the sages have said, יתודה קודם שיאכל וישתה, one should say viduy at Mincha prior to the seuda hamafsekes, prior to the last meal, שמא תיטרף דעתו בסעודה. Lest, Rashi explains their primary beverage was wine, lest he become inebriated and not be able to confess his sins adequately Yom Kippur night.

ואף על פי שהתודה קודם שאכל ושתה מתודה לאחר שיאכל וישתה.

And even though he has recited viduy prior to the last meal, he does so again after the last meal. And the Baraisa continues:

אף על פי שהתודה ערבית יתודה שחרית שחרית יתודה במוסף במוסף יתודה במנחה במנחה יתודה בנעילה.

And even though we say viduy in each of the tefillos beginning with tefillas Arvis, nevertheless we say viduy again in the next tefilla culminating with the viduy in Ne'ila. Then the Gemara questions, mai amay? What does one say? What does the viduy consist of? Amar Rav, אתה יודע רזי עולם. The passage again with with which we're familiar from our machzor, you are Hakadosh Baruch Hu, know the secrets of the world,

ותעלומות סתרי כל חי אתה חופש כל חדרי בטן ובוחן כליות ולב.

You search the inner chambers of a person's heart and you examine his heart. Shmuel amar, mima'amakei haleiv. Rashi says this is an allusion to a tefilla from the depths of our heart. רבי יוחנן אמר רבון העולמים. Rabbi Yochanan says viduy, again this we know even from our daily davening, it's incorporated into the daily davening, ribon ha'olamim, master of all the worlds, לא על צדקותינו אנחנו מפילים תחנונינו לפניך. We do not rely on our righteousness when we petition you, כי על רחמיך הרבים, rather on your bountiful, abundant mercies. מה אנו מה חיינו, what are we, what chesed, what kindnesses do we have to our credit, etc. Rabbi Yehuda amar, according to Rabbi Yehuda the viduy of Yom Kippur consists of the following: כי עוונותינו רבו מלמנות וחטאתינו עצמו מספר. Our sins are too numerous to be enumerated and our transgressions simply defy counting. Rav Hamnuna amar, and again this we recognize from the machzor, אלהי עד שלא נוצרתי איני כדאי. I was not worthy of being created, ועכשיו שנוצרתי כאילו לא נוצרתי. Now that I have been created, I am no more worthy. I am just as unworthy as when I had yet to be created. עפר אני בחיי קל וחומר במיתתי. I am like dust even when I am alive and have the possibility of living righteously, kal vachomer bismisosi, how much more so in death. הרי אני לפניך ככלי מלא בושה וכלימה. I am before you like a vessel brimming with shame and humiliation. יהי רצון מלפניך שלא אחטא. May it be your will that I not sin, ומה שחטאתי מרוק ברחמיך, and what I have sinned, please cleanse. Amar Mar Zutra,

לא אמרו אלא דלא. לא אמרו אלא דלא אמר אבל אנחנו חטאנו.

All these alternate formulae of the other Amoraim are necessary if a person has not pronounced the simple declaration of Aval anachnu chatanu, but we have sinned. But if a person simply, sincerely says and declares but we have sinned, nothing else is necessary. Then the Gemara recounts the following incident: אמר בר המדורי הוה קאימנא קמיה דשמואל והוה יתיב. I was in the presence of Shmuel, he was sitting, v'chamteh shlicha d'tzibura when the Chazan, when the Shliach Tzibur came to the section of Viduy in the repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei, in the Chazaras Hashatz, ואמר אבל אנחנו חטאנו קם מיקם. When the Shliach Tzibur pronounced the words Aval anachnu chatanu, we have sinned, Shmuel jumped up. Amar shma mina, we can infer from Shmuel's conduct, עיקר וידוי האי הוא, that the essence of Viduy is this proclamation, Aval anachnu chatanu. What's difficult about this Gemara is that the focus of the different formulae for Viduy coined by the Amoraim is not on confession of sins. At best, we obliquely, indirectly allude to the fact in asking for forgiveness and atonement, but even the confession of the sin again is at best indirect and implicit in these various Nuscha'os, in these various formulae. מה אנו מה חיינו מה חסדנו, what am I, what is my life worth, what acts of charity do I have to my credit? But there's no articulation, there's no confession as we conceive of it, as we think of it. How are these acceptable substitutes or paraphrases for Shmuel's very focused Aval anachnu chatanu? There is something else very striking about the language of the Gemara in Yoma. The Braitah introduces this entire discussion, Tanu Rabbanan, מצות וידוי ערב יום הכפורים. The Mitzvah of Viduy of the eve of Yom Kippur. The Rambam preserves this phrase and also speaks in פרק ב הלכה ב, מצות וידוי יום הכפורים. The Mitzvah of Viduy of Yom Kippur. What's anomalous, what captures our attention is that it's not a Mitzvah of Viduy. The Mitzvah hayom of Yom Kippur is Teshuvah, and then Viduy is a part, an integral part of Teshuvah whereby one articulates his Teshuvah, his repentance. The phrase מצות וידוי יום הכפורים seems to be inappropriate. All these difficulties, discrepancies, anomalies point to the following. There are two types of Viduy. There's a Viduy of Teshuvah, a Viduy again which in the Rav's expression constitutes the Ma'aseh Hamitzvah of Teshuvah, the only external performance in the process of Teshuvah, and then there's also an inde- independent mitzvah and concept of viduy, a viduy of kaparah. In fact, there are two parshios in the Torah which deal with viduy, and it would seem that each parshah teaches us a different type of viduy. In Parshas Naso, the Torah says וידבר השם אל משה לאמר, Hakadosh Baruch Hu spoke to Moshe, דבר אל בני ישראל, speak to Bnei Yisrael,

איש או אשה כי יעשו מכל חטאת האדם למעל מעל בהשם,

a man or woman who commits any of the various sins to betray Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The act of creation means that Hakadosh Baruch Hu placed His trust in us, the act of sinning is a betrayal of that trust. ואשמה הנפש ההיא והתוודו את חטאתם אשר עשו, the perpetrators should confess the sins which they have committed. The Rambam in Sefer Hamitzvos quotes the interpretation of Chazal on this pasuk in Parshas Naso:

לפי שנאמר והתודה אשר חטא עליה על החטאת כשהייתה קיימת לא אחר שנשחטה אין במשמע שיתוודה היחיד אלא בביאת מקדש.

Perhaps one is only obligated to confess one's sin for the particular aveira of having entered the precincts of the Beis Hamikdash when ritually impure. מניין אתה מרבה כל שאר המצוות, how does one know that the Torah requires us to confess our sins for all mitzvos? תלמוד לומר דבר אל בני ישראל והתוודו, whatever the sin be, even if it's some other sin, we must confess.

ומניין אף כריתות ומיתות בית דין אמר חטאתם, לרבות מצוות לא תעשה, יעשה לרבות מצוות עשה, ושם נאמר מכל חטאת האדם מצווה שבינו לבין חברו על הגנבות ועל הגזלות ועל לשון הרע.

Chazal interpret that the obligation to confess one's sins, and again when you look in the Sefer Hachinuch of this mitzvah, he makes quite clear that this includes specifying one's sin as well as articulating one's resolve not to sin again, that that is what the Torah is teaching us here in this pasuk of והתוודו את חטאתם אשר עשו. The Torah speaks of viduy also in Parshas Acharei Mos in the context of the viduy of the Kohen Gadol. The pasuk reads

והקריב אהרן את פר החטאת אשר לו וכיפר בעדו ובעד ביתו,

Aharon shall bring close his sin offering and he shall atone for himself and for his household. Chazal interpret in the Toras Kohanim, in the Gemara in Yoma, וכיפר בכפרת דברים הכתוב מדבר, that vechiper doesn't refer to the sprinkling of blood on the altar, but rather it refers to an oral source of atonement, to an atonement which is attained via viduy. And again, it is this viduy of the Kohen Gadol which we noted earlier, which does not contain the elements of charata al hachet and kabala l'haba, where the detail of the chet and the resolution not to repeat the chet are missing. This second viduy, the viduy of kaparah as distinct from the viduy of teshuvah, does not require either component, either that of charata al hachet or kabala l'haba. Thereby resolving both points of discrepancy within the Rambam's apparently contradictory formulae for viduy. Similarly, the phrase employed by the Gemara and the Rambam of מצוות וידוי יום הכיפורים is also very precise. The viduy of which Chazal speak in that braisa is not the viduy which is simply the maaseh hamitzva of teshuva, which is the outward external performance of the experience of teshuva, but rather they speak of the second type of viduy, the independent viduy, the viduy shel kappara. And here the mitzva consists of viduy. Hence the phrase מצוות וידוי יום הכיפורים. However, it remains for us to understand what does this second type of viduy represent? What is the kiyum of this mitzvas viduy? To understand that we have to return one more time to the sugya in Yuma of מצוות וידוי יום הכיפורים and again review for a brief moment the various expressions of viduy offered by the Amora'im. Rav Hamnuna:

אלוקי עד שלא נוצרתי איני כדאי ועכשיו שנוצרתי כאילו לא נוצרתי.

Before I was created I had no merit, I did not deserve to be created, and having been created, my existence is still unjustified and unredeemed. Rabbi Yochanan's expression:

ריבון העולמים לא בצדקתנו אנחנו מפילים תחנונינו לפניך כי על רחמיך הרבים.

Master of the worlds, we don't petition you because of our own righteousness, but rather because of your infinite mercies. מה אנו מה חיינו מה חסדנו. What are we, what is our life? Clearly the focus in each of these is the theme of shiflus haadam, the lowliness and unworthiness of man. In order to be worthy of kappara, the Torah says, somewhat dialectically, a person must first recognize his unworthiness. In order to approach Hakadosh Baruch Hu through teshuva, to approach הקדוש ברוך הוא הגדול הגיבור והנורא, great, powerful, and awesome, a person must first experience and acknowledge katnus haadam, the frailty of puny man. Viduy when it functions as a part of teshuva, as the maaseh hamitzva of teshuva, must reflect all elements of the experience of teshuva, hence the need for pirut hachet and kabala l'haba. However, a viduy of teshuva, a person resolves and commits himself not to repeat his chata'im and accordingly the viduy of teshuva must include the expression of resolution. Viduy shel kappara on the other hand, which consists of a recognition of man's inadequacy and ineptitude, that his continued existence is unjustified by his actions. And that he is wholly unworthy of Kaparah. For this, the simple declaration of Aval Anachnu Chatanu, pronounced with total sincerity and full understanding, suffices. The words of Aval Anachnu Chatanu, but we have sinned, encapsulate the notion of the lowliness and unworthiness of man. In fact, the Machzor Yom Kippur stresses repeatedly the motif of Shiflus Ha'adam, lowliness and unworthiness of man. In the Shir HaYichud, many have the custom of reciting after Tefillat Arvit the night of Kol Nidre, in the Shir HaYichud for Yom Rishon, for Sunday, we say as follows: ואני נבזה וחדל אישים נמאס בעיני ושפל אנשים. I am contemptible and the least of men, despicable to myself and most degraded of men. Again, this theme of the lowliness, unworthiness, inadequacy of man is captured by the Paytan in the Piyut which we include in our Musaf davening, Asher Eimasecha. The opening stanza reads:

אשר אימתך באראלי אומן באבירי אומץ בבלולי קרח בבדודי קרח.

Though your dread is upon the faithful angels who are mightily powerful, who are intermingled with ice, who are unique in their fieriness, umora'acha aleihem, and your awe is upon them, va'avisasa tehilla, yet you desire praise: מגלומי גוש מגורי גיא מדלויי פועל מדלי מש. From clods of earth who dwell in a valley, whose accomplishment is meager, whose works are poor. Vehi sehillasecha, and this is your praise. The Piyut concludes:

אשר אימתך בשביבי אש בשבילי מים בסלולי רום בסלסלי גובה מוראך עליהם.

Though your dread is upon those who are fiery flames, again all descriptions of the angels, who guide the paths of water, who are in exalted heavens and who are in lofty heights, and your awe is upon them,

ואבית תהילה מבשר ודם מהבל ותוהו מחציר יבש מצל עובר ומציץ נובל.

Yet you desire praise from flesh and blood, from vanity and nothingness, from withering grass, from a passing shadow, from those whose soul becomes terminated:

ממשלימי נפש ממפריחי רוח ממעופפי חיה ממחניקי נשמה ומוציאי יחידה.

Whose spirit floats out, whose life flies away, whose soul flits away, whose unique soul is removed, ונשמטים בדין ומתים במשפט וחיים ברחמים, who are heard in court, who die in judgment, who live through mercy. The Piyut captures very poignantly and powerfully the theme of Shiflus Ha'adam, which is so central to the Kedushat Hayom and the experience of Yom Kippur. This concept of Viduy shel Kaparah, that acknowledgment of one's unworthiness, of one's ontological nothingness, of Afsius Ha'adam, allows one to receive atonement from HaKadosh Baruch Hu, lets us understand the dialectical nature of our Tefillah on Yom Kippurim. My revered father, Hareini Kaparat Mishkavo, commented that if one studies the Yom Kippur Machzor, the two dominant themes which consistently recur are Shira and viduy. We sing songs of praise unparalleled in the liturgy of all year, and we also repeatedly, consistently confess, also unparalleled in terms of the frequency of the expression of viduy. At first glance, the symbiosis of shira and viduy, of song and confession of sin, seems to be self-contradictory. The lowliness and unworthiness of man would seem to mandate his silence. It would seem to disqualify him from saying shira to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the Melech Malchei Hamlachim. And yet, the lesson of Yom Kippur is what's encapsulated in mitzvat viduy of Yom Kippur as distinct from viduy of teshuva is that confessing our frailty and finitude, inadequacy and ineptitude, lowliness and unworthiness, qualifies us to receive kapara, atonement from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu spurns the song of sinful man, of arrogant man, however he, kaviyachol, covets the shira, the song of humble man. The awareness and the profession of aval anachnu chatanu, yes we have sinned, allows and qualifies man to say shira. This fundamental relational principle is a prominent theme in the haftarah of Yom HaKippurim as well. In one of the opening verses of the haftarah of the morning,

כי כה אמר רם ונשא שכן עד וקדוש שמו מרום וקדוש אשכון ואת דכא ושפל רוח להחיות רוח שפלים ולהחיות לב נדכאים.

For so says the exalted and uplifted One, who abides forever and whose name is holy: 'I abide in exaltedness and holiness, but am with the contrite and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.' לב נשבר ונדכה אלקים לא תבזה. When a person feels totally unworthy of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, precisely that sense and that feeling in the eyes of Hakadosh Baruch Hu makes him worthy of Hakadosh Baruch Hu's companionship. The piyut which we mentioned earlier, אשר אימתך באבישות תהילה, though You are dread, yet You desire praise. ואביתה תהלה מבשר ודם מהבל ותהו מחצי יבש. You desire praise from flesh and blood, from vanity and nothingness, from withering grass. It should be understood that Hakadosh Baruch Hu desires praise from a person who is aware that he is only basar vadam, hevel vatohu, chatzi yavesh, that he is but flesh and blood, vanity and nothingness, and withering grass. It is precisely this, again, sense of ontological worthlessness of afes ha'adam which allows a person to give praise to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. When a person internalizes the feeling of מה אנו מה חיינו, what are we, what is the worth and value of our life, meh chasdenu, meh tzidkatenu. What acts of kindness, what charity can we count to our credit? A sense of afsos ha'odom, his persona is totally transformed. An immediate direct corollary of a personality thoroughly suffused with a sense of shiflus va'afsos ha'odom is that in his interaction with his fellow man, bein odom lachaveiro, he will be consistently ma'avir al midosov, flexible and generously forgiving. A contrite person, acutely aware of shiflus va'afsos ha'odom, such a contrite person cannot act or feel contentiously. A feeling of loneliness and unworthiness also transforms one's relationship with hakadosh baruch hu. In the realm of bein odom lamokom, a person who appreciates his total absolute dependence upon hakadosh baruch hu, his unworthiness and worthlessness, senses and feels intuitively the need for and appropriateness of submissively bowing one's head and implementing ratzon hashem, the will of hakadosh baruch hu to the best of one's ability. A person who never loses sight of עפר אני בחיי קל וחומר במיתתי, I am dust even while alive, at the pinnacle of power, kal vachomer bemitasi, how much more so in my death, will be energized by one force and one desire and that is to meticulously observe and implement the ratzon hashem, the will of hakadosh baruch hu. And thus it is no coincidence that the machzor of yom kippur concludes after having spent a day involved in introspection, in tefillah, in teshuvah, having rediscovered and reminded ourselves of shiflus va'afsos ha'odom, the ontological worthlessness of man, having fulfilled מצות וידוי יום הכיפורים, that mitzvah, that independent viduy which stresses our unworthiness, so we conclude as follows:

מה נאמר לפניך יושב מרום ומה נספר לפניך שוכן שחקים,

what can we say before You who dwell on high and what can we relate to You who abides in the highest heavens? אתה נותן יד לפושעים וימינך פשוטה לקבל שבים, You reach out a hand to willful sinners and Your right hand is extended to accept penitents. ותלמדנו השם אלוקינו להתוודות לפניך על כל עוונותינו, You taught us Hashem to confess before You regarding all our sins. ואתה יודע שאחריתנו רימה ותולעה, You know that our ultimate end is maggot and worm.

מה אנו מה חיינו מה חסדנו מה צדקותינו מה ישועתנו,

what are we? What is our life? What is our kindness? What is our righteousness? מה ישועתנו מה כוחנו מה גבורתנו, what is our salvation? What is our strength? What is our might? The culmination of the entire Tefilla of Yom Kippur, the experience of Yom Kippur, is the Vidoi Shel Kapara when we recognize fully our worthlessness and unworthiness. And it is only then in the waning moments of the day when we have achieved this acute awareness that the sof hayom is mechaper. Only then does the end of the day of Yom Kippur grant us and provide us with atonement. V'chein Yehi Ratzon and so may it be the will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu that we should all be granted that atonement and we should all be sealed and blessed with a Gmar Chasima Tova.